The Breville Bambino and Bambino Plus are the same machine in almost every way that matters, which makes this one of the cleanest comparisons in home espresso: there is really only one decision between them. Both are tiny, both heat up in seconds, and both pull the same shot — so the choice comes down to how you want to make the milk, and how much you want to pay for the answer. Get that one question right and either machine is an excellent buy.
Start with everything they share, because it is nearly the whole machine. Both use Breville's fast heating system — the company rates the Bambino at roughly a three-second heat-up, so you can go from cold to a shot faster than a kettle boils — and both take a 54mm portafilter and pull a genuinely good espresso with the same fundamentals as pricier Brevilles. Neither has a built-in grinder, so each is only half a setup until you pair it with one. And both have the same tiny footprint, which is the reason either one lands on our best compact machines list. On the shot itself, there is no meaningful difference — you are not choosing a better espresso, you are choosing a milk system.
That milk system is the entire difference. The Bambino Plus adds an automatic milk-texturing wand: Breville rates it to steam milk to a set temperature and texture on its own, hands-free, so you attach the jug, press a button, and walk away while it produces café-style microfoam with no technique. The base Bambino keeps a manual steam wandinstead — the same kind of wand you'd learn on a Gaggia or a Barista Express — which means you texture the milk yourself, every time. That is the whole fork. Everything else on the spec sheet is shared; this one feature is what you are actually deciding between, and it costs a bit more on the Plus.
For a beginner, the Plus's automatic wand is genuinely transformative, because steaming milk is the single hardest skill in home espresso and the one most people get wrong for weeks. The auto-texturing wand simply removes it: you get microfoam-grade milk on day one without a learning curve, which is why the Plus is our top small-machine pick for milk drinks and the subject of its own full review. If your goal is a reliable latte or cappuccino every morning with the least possible fuss, the Plus is the machine that delivers it, and the premium over the base model buys you exactly that convenience.
The base Bambino is not the lesser machine, though — it is the right machine for a different person. A manual wand hands you control the automatic one takes away: you decide the texture, you can pour latte art, and you learn a real skill that transfers to any machine you buy later. For someone who wants to learnespresso rather than have it done for them — or who already knows how to steam milk and doesn't need the automation — the base Bambino gives you the identical shot and a proper wand for less money. Our guide to steaming milk is the fast way to get good on it, and once you are, the manual wand ceiling is higher than the automatic one.
So the verdict is unusually clean, because the machines are so alike. Buy the Bambino Plusif you want the milk textured for you, you value convenience and a no-fuss morning latte, and you're happy to pay a bit more to skip the hardest skill in espresso. Buy the base Bambino if you want to learn the craft, you plan to pour latte art, or you already steam milk confidently and would rather put the savings toward a better grinder — which, remember, you need either way, since neither machine grinds. There is no wrong answer here; there is the one that matches how you want to spend your mornings.
As with everything on this site, neither machine was in our hands. We worked from Breville's published specifications, the well-documented behavior of automatic versus manual steam wands, and priced both live. Where a claim is Breville's — the rated three-second heat-up, the automatic texturing — we report it as the manufacturer's rating rather than a measurement of our own, in line with our research method.
The short answer
Quick picks
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In detail
The picks, in full
Small kitchens where you already own a grinder
Breville Bambino (BES450)
No built-in grinder~3-sec ThermoJet heat-upManual microfoam steam wand54mm portafilter
The smallest real Breville espresso machine — genuine microfoam, no grinder, and it's ready in seconds.
- Shot quality
- 8
- Steam & milk
- 7
- Ease of use
- 8
- Build quality
- 7
- Value
- 8
Pros
- +Tiny footprint and near-instant heat-up make it the easiest real espresso machine to live with day to day
- +Pulls a genuinely good shot and steams proper microfoam — the fundamentals match pricier Brevilles
- +Skipping the grinder keeps the price down if you already have one
Cons
- −The manual steam wand takes practice — unlike the Bambino Plus, it won't texture the milk for you
- −No grinder means it's only half a setup; you must budget for a decent grinder separately
Don't buy this if…
…you want the machine to steam milk automatically. The Bambino Plus adds auto-steam for a bit more — the plain Bambino is the manual, cheaper version.
People who already own a grinder
Breville Bambino Plus (BES500)
No built-in grinder54mm portafilter3-second heat-upAutomatic milk texturing
The one to buy if you already have a grinder. Tiny, fast to heat, and it auto-steams milk.
- Shot quality
- 8
- Steam & milk
- 8
- Ease of use
- 9
- Build quality
- 7
- Value
- 9
Pros
- +Breville rates it at a 3-second heat-up — you genuinely can go from cold to a shot faster than a kettle boils
- +The automatic milk-texturing wand froths to a set temperature and texture with no technique required, which is the feature beginners actually benefit from
- +A tiny footprint that fits a cramped counter where the Barista Express won't
Cons
- −No grinder, so you must own or buy one — factor that into the real price
- −Small water tank means frequent refills if you make several drinks a day
Don't buy this if…
…you don't have a grinder and don't want to buy one. Pre-ground coffee makes bad espresso in any machine, and this one gives you nowhere to grind — get the Barista Express instead.
Bambino vs Bambino Plus: the decision in detail
Because these machines share so much, choosing well means understanding exactly what is identical, what differs, and which buyer each difference favors.
What's identical — and why the shot is the same
The two Bambinos share the same core: Breville's fast heating system, a 54mm portafilter, the same brewing hardware, and the same tiny footprint. That means the espresso itself is effectively identical between them — same pressure, same baskets, same heat-up. Neither has a built-in grinder. So nothing about the shot should factor into your choice; if you see the two machines pull differently, it's the grinder, the beans, or the technique, not the machine. This is why the whole comparison collapses to the milk system: it is the only thing that actually changes between them.
The milk system, in detail
The Plus's automatic wand steams to a set temperature and texture that Breville rates it to reach on its own — you attach the jug, choose a setting, and it stops itself, producing consistent microfoam with no skill. The base Bambino's manual wand gives you steam and puts you in charge of the rest: you control how much air you introduce, how long you steam, and when to stop, which is how latte art becomes possible but also how a beginner makes a lot of thin or scorched milk while learning. Automatic is easier and more consistent from day one; manual is more capable once mastered and lets you keep improving. That is the trade in a sentence.
Who should buy the Bambino Plus
Buy the Plus if you want a good milk drink with no technique and no learning curve — a busy household, a beginner who just wants a reliable latte, or anyone who'd rather the machine do the hard part. The automatic wand removes espresso's steepest skill, which is worth real money to most people, and the Plus is only modestly more than the base model. If milk drinks are the point of buying an espresso machine at all, this is the one — the full case is in our Bambino Plus review, and it ranks among the top picks in our best machines for lattes.
Who should buy the base Bambino
Buy the base Bambino if you want to learn espresso properly, you plan to pour latte art, or you already steam milk well and don't need the automation. The manual wand gives you more control and a higher ceiling, and it saves you money you can redirect to the grinder you need anyway. It's the enthusiast's pick of the two and the better long-term buy for someone who genuinely wants the craft — as long as you're honest that you'll practice. If you want the skill but expect to find it a chore, the Plus will make you happier.
Both need a grinder — the hidden cost
Neither Bambino grinds, so the real price of either is machine plus grinder, and the grinder is where most of the cup quality actually comes from. Whichever you choose, don't skimp here: a weak grinder undoes a good machine, and pre-ground coffee makes poor espresso in either Bambino. Budget for a proper grinder from the start — our best grinders for espresso is the reference — and keep fresh beans for espresso on hand. Getting the grinder right matters more than which Bambino you pick.
Living with either — size, speed, and cleaning
Both machines are a joy to live with for the same reasons: they heat in seconds, take up almost no counter, and are quick to clean. The one daily difference follows the milk system — the Plus's automatic routine is faster and more forgiving, while the base Bambino's manual wand needs you to purge and wipe it and rewards a little ritual. Both wands must be purged after every drink or milk dries inside. If you make several drinks a day, note the small water tank on both; it is the one shared limitation you'll feel regardless of which you buy.
The verdict
It is one of the simplest verdicts in espresso because the machines are nearly the same: pick by milk. Want it textured for you, hands-free, with no learning curve? The Bambino Plus. Want to learn the wand, pour latte art, and save the difference for a better grinder? The base Bambino. The shot is identical either way, so choose the milk experience that fits your mornings and don't overthink the rest.
How we picked
We do not run a testing lab
We compiled published manufacturer specifications, computed what each option costs to run where relevant, and cross-referenced aggregated owner reviews, then scored each product against a published rubric. The scores are judgments from documented research — they are not measurements we took, because we do not have a lab and we are not going to pretend we do. Where a number came from a manufacturer or a standard, we name it in Sources.
Questions
Frequently asked
What's the difference between the Bambino and Bambino Plus?+
Really just one thing: the milk system. The Bambino Plus has an automatic milk-texturing wand that Breville rates to steam to a set temperature and texture hands-free, while the base Bambino has a manual steam wand you operate yourself. Everything else — the fast heat-up, the 54mm portafilter, the shot quality, the tiny footprint, the lack of a built-in grinder — is effectively the same. The Plus costs a bit more for that automation.
Is the Bambino Plus worth the extra money?+
For most people, yes — steaming milk is the hardest skill in home espresso, and the Plus's automatic wand removes it entirely, so you get café-style microfoam on day one with no learning curve. If you drink lattes or cappuccinos and want them reliable and fuss-free, the modest premium is easily worth it. It's only
not worth it if you actively want to learn the wand or already steam milk well — in that case the
base Bambino gives you the same shot for less.
Does the base Bambino steam milk?+
Yes — it has a real manual steam wand, so it steams and textures milk just like a Gaggia or a Barista Express does. The difference from the Plus is that you do the work: you control the air, the time, and the texture yourself, which means more control and the ability to pour latte art, but also a learning curve. Our
guide to steaming milk will get you good on it quickly.
Which Bambino should a beginner buy?+
It depends on what kind of beginner you are. If you want good milk drinks with the least possible effort and no learning curve, buy the Bambino Plus — its automatic wand removes the hardest part of espresso. If you're a beginner who genuinely wants to learn the craft and will practice, the base Bambino's manual wand teaches a skill that transfers to any future machine and saves you money for a better grinder. Both pull the same shot, so choose based on whether you want to learn milk or skip it.
Receipts
Sources
We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Where a measured number came from a manufacturer spec sheet or a published standard, we name it and link it. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.
